Revelation 8

These four trumpet judgments lead to the fall of the Western Roman Empire

And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

This silence is when the persecution of Christians ended upon the rise of Constantine as Emperor. Silence is metaphor for quietness and peace.

2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

Going thru Revelation, when you see the word angel, replace it with the word messenger. These are messages to us, and from the Hebrew, is more accurately portraying the word messenger, and what God is trying to prophetically convey.

3 And another messenger/angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.

5 And the messenger/angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

This indicated trouble coming to the Western Pagan Roman Empire, from the prayers of the saints who were robbed of their lives in persecution, from the cruelty of the Roman hearts of that era. Don't mess with God's elect!

6 And the seven messenger/angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. 7 The first messenger/angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

This first trumpet was the AD 395 to 410 invasion of the Goths. As shown in the map below, it scorched a third of the empire, the western third. This was the scorched earth policy of the Goths, to burn everything in their path.

Aleric, leader of the Goths is said to have been compelled by God to raid Rome. It is not my own will that I do this; there is one who forces me on and will not let me rest, bidding me spoil Rome.

The Holy Roman Empire, Viscount James Bryce, pg267

The flames, which encountered no obstacle in the disorder of the night, consumed many public and private buildings. This awful catastrophe of Rome filled the astonished empire with grief and terror. Eleven hundred and sixty three years after the foundation of Rome, the imperial city, which had subdued and civilized so considerable a part of mankind, was delivered to the licentious fury of the tribes of Germany and Scythia.

The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, William James Reid 1878 pg 229

8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;

A great country is symbolized by a great mountain here.

Behold I am against thee O destroying mountain, says the YHWH, which destroys all the earth; and I will stretch mine hand out upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks and will make thee a burnt mountain. Jer 51:42

9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

This speak of maritime war in the seas against a third of the empire, the western third. God’s word here, like an orderly work of the clock, was the next set of events to wreck havoc on the western empire by the Vandals. These naval battles were fought between AD 425-470.

The terrible Genseric, a name which, in the Vandals destruction of the Roman Empire, has deserved equal rank with the names of Aleric and Attila. Genseric cast his eyes towards the sea; he resolved to create a naval power to embrace a mode of warfare which would render every maritime country accessible to their arms. The Vandals repeatedly visited the coasts of Spain, Liguria, Bruttium, Apulia, Calabria, Venitia, Dalmatia, Epirus, Greece and Sicily.

Universal Navel History by John Frost, pg 181

10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;

This was the invasion of Attila the Hun. He was symbolically that star that fell from Heaven. Like a falling star, Attila wrecked havoc across the Western third of the empire. He was also called “the scourge of God.”

11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

Attila’s invasion covered the area of the Western third, over the areas heavily watered by the Alps with over 40 rivers. Attila burnt cites and enslaved inhabitants, causing life to become bitter. Attila was known also, for the warfare strategy of luring men into the rivers, then killing them.

As Attila was headed to ransack Rome, an artery bursted in his chest, suddenly killing him. Like a falling star, as fast as Attila came onto the scene, is how fast he perished.

Attila the Hun, in his decade of military ventures, managed to contribute more to the fall of the Western Roman Empire than any other figure.

Attila the Hun, The Scourge of God - Alexander Knight

12 And the fourth messenger angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.

As we’ve noted in our other commentaries, the Sun, Moon and Stars here are symbolically a picture of the fall of leadership, in this case, the fall of the Roman Empire leadership upon AD 476 <Genesis 37:9,10 , Isayah 13:10 and Ezekiel 32:7>

This final overthrow of the Western third was through Odoacer, chief of the Heruli.

Odoacer, chief of the Heruli, a barbarian host left by Attila on the frontiers of Italy gave command that the name and office of Roman Emperor of the west should be abolished.
Horae Apocalipticae, Edward Bishop Elliot Vol I pg 359

13 And I beheld, and heard an messenger angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

The Futurists/literalists continue in their ignorance, to tell us all these events of the book of Revelation are yet future, while God has ignored the greatest events in all of history for over nineteen hundred years now. However, in the next chapter of Revelation, marks absolute fixed timelines of history in trumpets 5 and 6, timelines of which, Preterists and Futurists have absolutely no answer for.

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Revelation Commentary – All is fulfilled up to Rev 1 7